PREDESTINATION
The word is used to express the doctrine which means the exercise of God’s Sovereignty in all the affairs of creation, providence, and grace. The word “predestinate” means to predetermine or limit in advance, God’s entire plan of salvation is primarily under the umbrella of predestination.
Under predestination lies several branches. There is “General Predestination” where God exercises His Divine Providence. The other branch is Special Predestination” of which He created angels and deals with them, even permitting some of them to turn bad under the chief angel, “Lucifer,” who is called “Satan.” In that angelic realm, he will someday judge the wicked angels and reward the good.
The other branch of special predestination is His creation of man, of which, by His Sovereign “election,” He, in a positive decree, elects some men to salvation by Grace and shares some of His Glory with them, and by His interruption into their sinful lives, stops the continuance of sin so they are declared righteous!
However, on the other side of the coin, is the Doctrine of “Reprobation” whereby in a permissive decree, through preterition and damnation, He does nothing to change the course of their sinful lives and permits the continuance of sin which finally results in missing the salvation express! This teaching was originated by God only, and not by any man or group.
Some men teach that since God knows the end from the beginning, He knows who will come to Christ, and He foreordained to bless those by giving them Eternal Life. However, this is not what is stated in the Bible.
What the Bible teaches is that God has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass, yet so as He is not the Author of sin, nor is violence offered to the will of the creature, nor is the liberty or contingency of secondary causes taken away, but rather established. The objection by many, is that the Doctrine of Predestination halts Evangelism and deadens Christian service. However, this is no truer now than was with Christ, the Apostles, or especially the Apostle Paul. Also, it is stated “why preach it if certain are elected before salvation?” The reason is that election is not salvation, but UNTO salvation. God has ordained the means to the end, namely, “through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth.”
Let us examine the method of the Bible relating to predestination, which may illuminate some meaning of the doctrine.
God chose the method which man could be saved. Paul revealed it in 2 Thessalonians 2:13,14, when he was addressing those in that church who he thought to be believers in Jesus Christ. He said, “But we are bound to give thanks always to God for YOU, ( God’s Elect ), brethren, beloved of The Lord, because God has “chosen” you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth” where He called you by our Gospel, to the obtaining of the Glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Then in Romans 8:29, 30, Paul revealed “For whom He did predestinate, to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first born among many brethren. Moreover, whom He did predestinate, THEM ( God’s Elect ), He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also Glorified.”
So, you see, in His Divine Plan, He not only predestinates WHO He will choose to salvation, but He chooses the method by which all who are called will come. The Holy Spirit sanctifies or “Separates” each one who will believe the truth of the Gospel.
“Gospel” means “good news.” What is the good news? Is it that God sent Jesus to earth, and He was sinless and good, and taught us how to be good, then IF we follow the example He set, we can be saved? No, that is NOT the good news! Indeed, that would be BAD news, because no one has ever been able to live a sinless life. Paul repeated this truth in Romans 3:10,11,12 “as it is written, there is NONE righteous, no, not ONE: there is NONE that understandeth, there is NONE that seeketh after God. They are ALL gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is NONE that doeth good, no, not ONE.”
Then, in Romans 3:23, he states, “For ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” To be short of God’s Glory, means to “miss the mark.” In Romans 6:23, we are told the penalty of this sin. “For the wages of sin is death.” The “good news” comes in the second half of that same verse, “but the gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ, our Lord.” So, that is the good news! There is hope to those who are the called in Jesus Christ!
Paul, in Ephesians 1:3,4,5,6, further clarifies the plan when he says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed us, ( His Elect ) with ALL Spiritual blessings in Heavenly Places in Christ: according as He hath chosen us ( His Elect ), in Him BEFORE the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of HIS WILL ( not our will ), to the praise of the glory of His Grace, wherein He hath MADE us accepted in the beloved.”
So, it is quite plain to see that it is God Himself Who actually brings each of those He predestinated to salvation to the knowledge of the truth.
Paul further states in Ephesians 1:9,10,11, “Having made known unto us ( God’s Elect ) the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He has purposed in Himself: that in the plan in the fullness of time He might gather together in all things in Christ, both which are in Heaven, and which are on earth. Even in Him: In Whom also we (the Elect ), have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him Who worketh ALL THINGS after the counsel of His OWN WILL.”
Therefore, the Apostle Paul makes it quite clear. Jesus, when on earth, also taught the plan. The Apostle Peter knew this truth also, and preached it. He stated in I Peter 1:2 when addressing the believers present, “Elect, according to the foreknowledge of God The Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.” And in verse 20, he further states, “who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was made manifest in these last times for you.”
James also stated in James 1:18, “of His own will begat He us ( the Elect ) with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of His creatures.”
The Bible is full of examples of His choosing certain people for specific purposes which will be studied under “election.) One thing is for certain, and that is, that God’s remained the same throughout the ages, and it is only revealed to those to whom He has chosen to reveal it to!
Cont.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Blessings!
Marked Elect
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